Apparatus for checking a ticket

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for checking a ticket and more particularly a device for checking tickets such as an admission ticket for a theater and the like, which is capable of cutting a ticket into two halves after checking it, collecting one half in the apparatus and returning the other half to the original user of the ticket from the outlet slot on the apparatus.

United States Patent Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Priority Takeo Asada;

Toshihiro Kamiya, Kyoto-fu, Japan 802,965

Feb. 27, 1969 May 25, 1971 Omron Tateis' Electronics Co. Kyoto-in, Japan Mar. 6, 1968 Japan 43/ 14426 APPARATUS FOR CHECKING A TICKET [50] Field ofSearch 83/107, 163, 203, 205, 360, 366, 371, 102,104,147; 209/(PMSD), 74; l94/(LSTP), (Inquired) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,253,311 /1941 Ward 101/66 2,618,085 /l952 Gersbach 83/366X 3,245,534 /l966 Smith et a1 209/111.8

Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant ExaminerJames F. Coan Attorney-Craig, Antonelli, Stewart and Hill zw/ 4 7 I 797 J? 2% M Z? 57 22 A 0 2;

zo a; 27 24 O 2? 3'9 3/? EF Jj P4 59 54 /0 .O 3 4a 2 o 9 55 45 PATENTED HAY25 I97! 3580.121

' saw 3 or 3 INVENTORS IAKEO ASA DA M -0 HI/IIRO KAMI Y M, M, M w ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR CHECKING A TICKET This invention relates to an apparatus for checking a ticket and more particularly to a device for checking tickets such as an admission ticket for a theater and the like. 1

Tickets for theaters and like establishments must be issued in the form in which one stub of each ticket is collected by the establishment as evidence of the admission and the other stub is returned to the respective user as evidence for admission. The same is also the case with a round trip ticket one stub of which must be returned to the passenger.

The devices heretofore in use for automatically checking the tickets of the kind described were available in the form of a device capable of merely reading the coded information given to a ticket and printing a finished checkup mark on the ticket or breaking off a part of the ticket when the ticket is returned to the user. No device has yet been proposed that can be used for the purposes described above.

This invention has for its object the provision of an apparatus for checking a ticket capable of cutting a ticket into two halves after checking it, collecting one-half in the apparatus and returning the other half to the original user of the ticket from the outlet on the apparatus.

It is desirable in the device of this kind that separated stubs can be collected or returned as soon as possible after the check, and moreover this collection or return must be made positively.

The ticket checking device provided by the invention is contemplated to cut a ticket into two halves by means of a cutter disposed between return rollers and collecting rollers in the state where the two ends of the ticket lie between a respective pair of return and collecting rollers, and to collect onehalf by the collecting rollers and to return the other half by the return rollers immediately. The device is further contemplated to cut a ticket printed with necessary informational signsinto two halves in the manner that one-half of the ticket contains the signs and the other half contains no sign, and to collect the former in the device by the collecting rollers and to feed the latter back to an outlet slot by the return rollers. Furthermore, the device is designed to make it possible to positively receive the ticket and to return its stub by separately forming an inlet slot for tickets and an outlet slot for stubs, and providing a means for switching a passageway for the ticket inserted into said inlet slot over to a passageway for a stub to be returned to said outlet slot. The switchover means'thus provided preclude the possibility of a stub coming out from the inlet slot for tickets and make it possible for ticket holders coming after those already entering not to feel the inconvenience in putting their tickets in the inlet slot even if those preceding users do not receive the stub of their tickets, thusimproving the efficiency in dealing with the checking for ticket holders.

The device of the invention is designed to simplify the mechanism of said switchover means and to render the mechanism positively in operation by constituting the structure to comprise a means for bringing the switchover means into operation by the inserted ticket from an outlet slot thereby keeping'a passageway for the ticket to be checked in the device and a means for bringing the switchover means into operation by the stub of the inserted ticket thereby keeping a passageway for the stub to be returned to an outlet slot. As a still further feature, the device of the invention is designed to positively return a stub to the outlet slot by so constituting the structure that the means for keeping a passageway for a stub comprises a means for closing a passageway for a ticket and a means for guiding the stub to the outlet slot.

Furthermore, the device of the invention is designed to positively dispose of the stubs returned by providing the device with a means for collecting the stubs in the device in case the users do not receive the stubs returned to the outlet slot.

As described above, this invention provides a novel ticket checkup device for checking the informational signs given to a ticket inserted into the device from the inlet slot, thereafter cutting the ticket in two, and returning the stub of the ticket containing no sign to the outlet slot under a guidance of the switchover means, thereby making the insertion and collection of tickets positive, rendering the device free from failure in operation and giving easy access to the use of the device by ticket holders.

These and other objects and aspects of the invention will be more clearlyunderstood from the following description of the invention made by reference to an embodiment of the invention shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically a isometric view of an embodiment of the apparatus for checking a ticket according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a face view of a ticket for use in the apparatus for checking a ticket of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows schematically a diagrammatical view of the mechanism of the apparatus for checking a ticket according to the invention; v

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the cutter portion of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of an inlet slot for tickets and an outlet slot for stubs in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a isometric view showing of a part of the means for switching passageways and the means for collecting stubs in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 to FIG. 10 explain schematically the operations of the means of FIG. 5 step by step.

' The apparatus for checking a ticket shown in FIG. 1 basically comprises two side structures, 1 and 2, disposed in parallel at a distance from one another to define a gateway 3 therebetween. Ticket holders are guided to pass the gateway in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1.. One side structure is provided on the entrance side thereof with an inlet slot 4 for receiving a ticket l0 and an outlet slot 5 for returning a stub 11 therefrom and is provided on the center side thereof and centrally of the gateway with a tumstile 6. As the ticket holders come to the entrance of the gateway, they each insert a ticket into the inlet slot 4 on the side structure 1. The inserted ticket is drawn into-the side structure and is checked for its verification. When it is valid, the ticket is cut into two halves and one stub of the ticket is returned to the outlet slot 5, on the side structure 1. But when it is invalid, the ticket is returned directly to the outlet slot without being cut in two. Only when the ticket is checked and found valid in this manner, the tumstile 6 is unlocked and the entrance through the gateway is obtained by the ticket holders.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ticket 10 is rectangular in shape with a long side 12 and a short side 13 and a pair of stripes 14 and 15 are printed with magnetic ink on the ticket on both sides of and in parallel to a centerline 14 of the long side 12 and in parallel to the short side 13. These stripes 15, 15' are printed for verification of the ticket and may be printed on one or both sides of the'ticket. Necessary pieces of information for checkup, such as a day of the week, an adult and a child, etc. and such informations as being required for verification of the ticket itself are imparted to the ticket in the form of a code by forming a plurality of punched holes 17 in the ticket on the centerline 14 in parallel to the short side 13 of the ticket in a symmetrical relationship with respect to both sides of a centerline 16 in parallel to the long side 12 of the ticket.

The ticket found valid upon checkup is separated along a chain or score line 18 drawn in parallel to the short side 13 of the ticket, and a. stub 19 of the ticket containing a code which is a stripe or stripes and punched holes is collected in the side structure and the other stub 11 containing no code is returned to the outlet slot 21 on the side structure.

Referring to FIG. 3, which schematically illustrates the mechanism of the ticket checkup device, there is shown a ticket detecting switch 21 including a projector and a beam receiver disposed immediately below the inlet slot 4. The ticket inserted into the inlet slot is detected by the detecting switch, the operation of which starts conveyingthe ticket into the side structure 1. That is to say, the ticket is conveyed downwardly of the side structure by a conveying means made up of a group of plural stages of coupled rollers. A group of driving rollers 22, 23, 24 and 25, of the conveying means are rotated either positively or negatively by means of a motor M and clutches C and C That is to say, when rotational force from the motor is transmitted to a driving shaft 26 through one clutch C,, a group of driving rollers is rotated positively by a belt V, and when it is'transmitted through the other clutch C the group of driving rollers is rotated negatively by the same belt. When the group of driving rollers is rotated positively, they turn clockwise in the direction of an arrow R in FIG, 3 to feed the ticketdownward, and when it is rotated negatively, they turn counterclockwise in the direction of an arrow L in FIG. 3 to feed the ticket upward. These driving rollers have driven counterparts 29, 30, 31 and 32, each of which is supported slidably by a lever 27 and pushedto the coupled driving roller by a spring 28. The ticket is sandwiched and conveyed between these couples of driving rollers and the driven rollers. When the ticket is stopped by a stopper 36, disposed on the lower portion, the driven roller in the last stage, whose lever 27 is operatively connected with a plunger 35 of a solenoid 34 through a lever 33, is detached from the coupled driving roller 25 by exciting of the solenoid 34, and when a stub is returned, it is again brought into contact with the coupled driving roller 25 for conveying the stub. A pair of magnetizers 37 and 37, which magnetize the magnetic ink stripe or stripes on the inserted ticket is provided between the rollers of the first and second stages. A detector 38, including a projector and a beam receiver and which reads the punched holes on the ticket is disposed between the rollers of the second and third stages for checking the ticket. A pair of magnetic heads 39 and 39, which read the magnetic ink stripe or stripes on the ticket is disposed between the rollers of the third and the fourth stages for reading the direction on the ticket.

The ticket that passed the rollers of the fourth stage passes through a pair of slits 40 and 41 and comes down between rollers 42 and 43 in the fifth stage. The driving roller 42 of the fifth stage is rotated in cooperation with and in a direction opposite to the upper group of driving rollers through idler gears G and G and the driven counterpart roller 43 is fitted to the end of a lever 44. The lever 44 is pivotally supported by a pin 45 and is fitted at the other end to the end of a plunger 46, which is moved by the excitation of a solenoid 47 in cooperation with the detector to rotate the lever against the action of a spring 48, thereby to detach the driven roller re of the fifth stage from the driving roller 42. This excitation of the solenoid 47 is effected when a stub of a valid ticket containing a code is collected downward, and when a ticket is checked and found invalid by the detector, the solenoid is deenergized, whereupon the ticket is immediately returned upward by the rollers of the fifth stage.

There is provided a cutter mechanism shown in FIG. 4 between the rollers of the fourth and the fifth stages. A cutter 49 is disposed opposite to the slit 40 of the first stage thereof. The cutter pivoted by a pin 50 of the cutter mechanism has an edge 51 at one end and has a slot 52 formed at the other end, into which a pin 54 secured at one end of a lever 53, is fitted. The lever 53 is pivoted by a pin 55 and is connected at the other end to a connecting rod 57 by a pin 56 and is springloaded by a spring 58. The other end of the connecting rod 57 is connected by a pin 61 to a plunger of a solenoid 59. When the solenoid 59 is in a deenergized stage, the lever 53 is rotated clockwise in the direction of an arrow R in FIG. 4 by the spring 58 so that the edge 51 of the cutter 49 is positioned away from the slit 40 of the first stage. When the solenoid 59 is excited, the plunger 60 rotates the lever 53 counterclockwise in the direction of an arrow L in FIG. 4 to move the cutter 49 in clockwise in the direction of an arrow R in FIG. 4 about the pin 50 for cutting the ticket by rubbing the edge 51 of the cutter against the slit 40. As the edge of the cutter is normally pushed by a spring 62 (FIG. 3) in the direction of the cutting surface of the slit 40, it can positively cut the ticket off into two halves by a rubbing action between the edge 51 and the cutting surface of the slit 40. Downwardly of the rollers 42 and 43 of the fifth stage is disposed a third slit 63 and further downwardly of the slit 63 is disposed a stopper 36. The distance between the stopper and the cutter is equal to the length between the short side and the cutting line of the ticket. That is to say, the ticket dropping from the rollers in the fourth stage passes through the slits 40, 41 and 63 of the first,-second, and third stages until it is stopped at its lower end by the stopper 36 as shown with an ideal line in FIG. 3, and when it is positioned so that both the upper and lower ends of the ticket lie between the rollers of the fourth and the fifth stages, the ticket is cut along the cutting line into two halves by the cutter.

The stopper is pivoted by a pin 64 and operatively connected at one end with a stopper pin 65, fitted into the plunger of the solenoid 47. Accordingly, when the solenoid is excited by operation of the detector and the plunger is pulled downward, the stopper 36 is rotated clockwise in cooperation with the stopper pin 65 and engages against the lower surface of the slit 63 of the third stage in the downstream end, thereby preventing the ticket from falling out through the slit. When the ticket is valid, the solenoid is deenergized, the plunger 46 is lifted upward, the stopper 36 is rotated counterclockwise to detach from the slit 63 in cooperation with the stopper pin 65, and accordingly, the lower stub of of the ticket cut by the cutter containing a code passes through the slit of the third stage and is collected through a chute 66 in a suitable container.

The solenoid that actuates the cutter is operated when the ticket is checked and found valid by the detector, and the solenoid that actuates the slit is operated when the ticket is checked and found invalid by the detector..When the ticket is separated by the cutter into two halves, a switch 67, disposed so as to cooperate with the lever 53, is operated to deenergize the two solenoids thereby returning the cutter to its original position, and at the same time detaching the stopper 36 from the third slit 63 and bringing the driven roller 43 of the fifth stage into contact with the driving roller to feed the lower stub of the ticket sandwiched between said driving and driven rollers containing a code forcedly downward for collection by rotation of said driving roller. At this time another solenoid is simultaneously operated to bring the driven roller 32 of the fourth stage into engagement with its counterpart driving roller 25 to return the upper stub of the ticket sandwiched between said driving and driven rollers containing no code forcedly upward for return by rotation of said driving roller.

In FIG. 5 and in FIG. 6 are shown the arrangement of the inlet slot for receiving a ticket and the outlet slot for returning a stub formed in the upper surface of the side structure. As described above, while the ticket inserted intothe inlet slot is detected by the detecting switch which operates the group of driving rollers of plural stages, the ticket making its way into the side structure strikes at one end against a switchover member 68, made of a plate in the first place. This switchover member 68, as shown in FIG. 6, is fixedly secured to a square fixing member 70, rotatably mounted to a shaft 69, and is always biased at the other end by a spring 71 to the normal position to be disposed downwardly of the passageway 72, from the inlet slot and upwardly of the passageway 74 to the outlet slot above the driving roller 22 and the driven roller 29 of the first stage, so that the switchover member blocks the passageway from the inlet slot to the way between the driving roller and the driven roller of the first stage. The ticket inserted through the inlet slot, as shown in FIG. 7, presses the upper surface of the switchover member 68 downward with its forward end, opens the passageway for the ticket between the driving roller 22 and the driven roller 29 of the first stage, finds its way therebetween, and is pulled downward by the group of rollers of plural stages. On the other hand, the upper stub of the ticket separated by the cutter in the side structure is returned upward from the cutter to the outlet slot by the group of driving rollers which are rotated in the reverse direction and thus rotate counterclockwise in the direction of an arrow L. At this time, the switchover member 68 is disposed in normal position by the resilience of the spring 71, as described above, so as'to block the passageway for the ticket from the way between the driving roller and the driven roller of the first stage to the inlet slot, and accordingly the stub to be returned to the outlet slot, as shown in FIG. 8, passes between the driving roller and the driven roller of the first stage, thereafter passes the passageway to the outlet slot between the driving roller 22 of the first stage and a tension roller 73, disposed above said driving roller, while being guided along the underside of the switchover member whence the possibility of the stub coming out from the inlet slot is precluded by said switchover member 68. The stub which passes through the passageway to the outlet slot is detected by a stub detecting switch 75, including a projector and a beam receiver disposed below the outlet slot, and is discharged, as shown in FIG. 9, to the top of a receiving member 76 and a movable member 77 in the outlet slot. The receiving member 76 is fixed so as to stop the lower end of the stub discharged,

but the movable member 77 that supports the lower side of the stub, is pivotally supported at one end by a shaft 78 and is suspendedly provided with a spring 79 for returning itself to its original position to support the stub and is connected at the other end to a lever 82 which is connected to a plunger 81 actuated by energization of a solenoid 80. When the solenoid is energized at a predetermined time, for example, by suitable signals, such as specified number of operations of the ticket detecting switch, specified number of stubs placed on the movable member or specified number of users or passengers who pass the gateway, and the like, the other end of the movable member is rotated downward to detach from the receiving member, as shown in FIG. 10, and hence the stubs placed on the movable member are dropped into a suitable chute and a collection box disposed below the movable member. lmmediately after the movable member has dropped the stubs in this manner, it is retracted to its original position by the resilience of the spring, and is adapted to receive stubs thereon again. When the stub detecting switch is operated by the stub returned to the outlet slot, the ticket checking device is reset again so as to be able to insert the ticket into the inlet slot, and comes back to the first stage. Incidentally, the ticket found invalid upon checking by the detector is also returned itself to the top of the movable member and the receiving 1 member in the outlet slot.

The aspects and objects of this invention have been described and illustrated in detail with reference to an embodiment thereof, and will become more apparent from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: v

1. An apparatus for checking a ticket, comprising:

an inlet slot for receiving a ticket to be checked;

a passageway adjacent said inlet slot for conveying said received ticket in a first direction away from said inlet slot;

first means located along said passageway for detecting the validity 'of the ticket conveyed along said passageway;

second means responsive to said detecting means located along said passageway for cutting a ticket which has been detected to be valid;

third means for returning at least a portion of said detected ticket along said passageway in a second direction opposite said first direction and toward said inlet'slot;

fourth means disposed within said passageway adjacent said inlet slot-for directing said at least a portion of said detected ticket returning along said passageway away from said inlet slot; and

an outlet slot, adjacent said fourth means and said inlet slot,

passagewa toward said first means and second means, and to divert sa1 at least a portion of said ticket toward said outlet slot when said ticket is returned along said passageway from said first and second means toward said inlet slot and wherein said passageway is formed by a plurality of pairs of driving and driven rollers between which said ticket travels.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further including a fifth means for disposing of said at least a portion of said ticket or of a plurality of tickets which have been left unremoved from said outlet slot. I I

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, whereinsaid first means detects a valid'ticket which has coded information on only one portion thereof and wherein said second means includes a cutting means, responsive to the detection of a valid ticket by said first means, for separating said coded portion of said ticket from the remainder of said ticket, constituting the stub of said ticket.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said passageway is formed by a plurality of pairs .of driving and driven rollers and wherein said cutting means is disposed adjacent the ends of said passageway defined by said pairs of rollers, the pair of rollers adjacent said cutting means, including a means for forcing a first and a second pair of rollers to sandwich said ticket therebetween while said cutting means separates the coded portion of said ticket from the stub portion of said ticket, and further including means for rotating one of said pairs of rollers in said second direction to return the stub portion of the ticket along said passageway toward said outlet slot and further including means to rotate the other pair of said pairs of rollers in said first direction to feed the coded portion of said ticket into a container within said apparatus.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said rollers are driven by a means for rotating said rollers from a common motor, and wherein said means for forcing said first and second pairs of rollers to sandwich said tickets therebetween includes a pair of solenoid-controlled pivot linkages attached to said rollers and responsive to said second means when said second means detects a valid ticket.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second means for detecting a valid ticket includes a magnetic detecting means and a valid ticket has magnetic stripes printed therein so as to be detected by second means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second means for detecting a valid ticket includes a photosensitive detector and a valid ticket has an aperture therein, whereby the presence and absence of apertures will be detected by said second means. 

1. An apparatus for checking a ticket, comprising: an inlet slot for receiving a ticket to be checked; a passageway adjacent said inlet slot for conveying said received ticket in a first direction away from said inlet slot; first means located along said passageway for detecting the validity of the ticket conveyed along said passageway; second means responsive to said detecting means located along said passageway for cutting a ticket which has been detected to be valid; third means for returning at least a portion of said detected ticket along said passageway in a second direction opposite said first direction and toward said inlet slot; fourth means disposed within said passageway adjacent said inlet slot for directing said at least a portion of said detected ticket returning along said passageway away from said inlet slot; and an outlet slot, adjacent said fourth means and said inlet slot, for delivering said at least a portion of said ticket, which has been detected and returned.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fourth means comprises a rotatable plate member disposed downwardly of said inlet slot and positioned so as to permit said received ticket to pass therethrough along said passageway toward said first means and second means, and to divert said at least a portion of said ticket toward said outlet slot when said ticket is returned along said passageway from said first and second means toward said inlet slot and wherein said passageway is formed by a plurality of pairs of driving and driven rollers between which said ticket travels.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further including a fifth means for disposing of said at least a portion of said ticket or of a plurality of tickets which have been left unremoved from said outlet slot.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first means detects a valid ticket which has coded information on only one portion thereof and wherein said second means includes a cutting means, responsive to the detection of a valid ticket by said first means, for separating said coded portion of said ticket from the remainder of said ticket, constituting the stub of said ticket.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said passageway is formed by a plurality of pairs of driving and driven rollers and wherein said cutting means is disposed adjacent the ends of said passageway defined by said pairs of rollers, the pair of rollers adjacent said cutting means, including a means for forcing a first and a second pair of rollers to sandwich said ticket therebetween while said cutting means separates the coded portion of said ticket from the stub portion of said ticket, and further includiNg means for rotating one of said pairs of rollers in said second direction to return the stub portion of the ticket along said passageway toward said outlet slot and further including means to rotate the other pair of said pairs of rollers in said first direction to feed the coded portion of said ticket into a container within said apparatus.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said rollers are driven by a means for rotating said rollers from a common motor, and wherein said means for forcing said first and second pairs of rollers to sandwich said tickets therebetween includes a pair of solenoid-controlled pivot linkages attached to said rollers and responsive to said second means when said second means detects a valid ticket.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second means for detecting a valid ticket includes a magnetic detecting means and a valid ticket has magnetic stripes printed therein so as to be detected by second means.
 8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second means for detecting a valid ticket includes a photosensitive detector and a valid ticket has an aperture therein, whereby the presence and absence of apertures will be detected by said second means. 